Sarria to Vilacha

Thursday 2 June 2016 - Day 36

Sarria to Vilacha - 20 km

Away by about 7am this morning after a poor sleep...maybe I can only sleep now in a room full of people! Sarria was shrouded in mist, and seemed almost deserted as I climbed the very long, ancient worn steps called Escalinata Maior, but pilgrims soon made their presence felt.

Today was the start of the shortest distance that it's possible to walk and still earn a compostela/certificate. Lots of new people, with clean clothes and small packs and seemingly boundless energy. Much excited chatter along the way, especially in the morning.

I left Sarria through dense, mossy forest of oak and chestnut trees. A funny Irish fellow, on his first day, fell into step with me for a few kilometres.

After a while I sort of blocked out the number of people and really focused on myself and my walking. This led to a day full of sensory experiences. I ate some beautiful food, including a great slab of delicious heavy almond cake. The smells were of freshly mown fields, animals and dung, ploughed earth and flowers.

The sounds of running water, birdcalls, conversations, tractors and other farm machinery filled the air. I felt the warm air and its movement as I walked.

I saw beautiful sunshine, amazing food, ancient buildings, interesting cloud formations, tiny waterways flowing alongside the track or right beside buildings, funny little shops festooned with colours or witches, a fence with wire strung between enormous stones, farm animals and a multitude of trees and wildflowers.

I laughed to see lines of washing strung literally in the middle of nowhere and was incredibly lucky to see a small stone fence with many bright green lizards sunning themselves in the warmth.

One milestone of the day was passing the 100km to go signage. Here's me celebrating this moment. My emotions were running high.

Staying tonight at Casa Banderas, a lovely place owned and run by Gordon, from South Africa. It's an historic building with an inviting courtyard and a homely feel. I spent the afternoon either relaxing and chatting inside on a comfy couch or sprawled in the courtyard taking in the glorious sun.

I'm in a room with 8 bunks, there's also one private room. Only one bathroom. There's one bed spare tonight. Had a great meal that Gordon cooked himself, though I ate too much. A real multi-cultural group tonight. Hoping for a better sleep now my cough has settled.

A joyous day!